‘Barisan will receive backlash from people over ISA detentions’

‘Barisan will receive backlash from people over ISA detentions’
17 Sept, 2008

By IAN MCINTYRE, The Star

PASIR PUTEH: PAS is predicting that Barisan Nasional would receive a huge backlash from the people over the use of the Internal Security Act (ISA) on blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin and Seputeh MP Teresa Kok.

The backlash would manifest itself either at the next general election or perhaps in the internal elections of the Barisan component parties.

There would be a migration of support more intense than in the last general election, PAS vice-president Datuk Husam Musa claims.

”It has become a messy form of governance. Everything from economic to security management and the people are angry,” he said after presenting aid to two-year-old Asraff Abdul Malik who suffers from a heart ailment.

The lad resides at Kampung Kolam Tembusu near Selising here.

The entire integrity and credibility of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s cabinet and Government is now under threat because it has chosen to continue detaining the two individuals.

The police and Abdullah have also not come out with a convincing reason for detaining both and it is made worst when several cabinet ministers questioned why ISA was used now, Husam said.

Husam, who is also a senior state executive councillor, said to best illustrate it, the resignation of former de facto Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim was a telling factor for the Government to release the two detainees.

”We hope the Government is humanitarian on this aspect and gauge the sentiment on the ground about ISA. PAS would gain from any misgivings about the stature of a Barisan-led Government but we are more concerned about the fate of the two detainees for now,” Husam said. On Kuala Pilah MP Datuk Hasan Malek’s claims that he was offered money and a post as inducement to join the Opposition, Husam urged the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) to investigate the claims.

”We want to see who is lying on this matter. The ACA should be stern and punish those who offer and those who receive bribes.”

On Pakatan Rakyat’s efforts to oust Barisan and form the next government since the Sept 16 deadline has now passed, Husam said PAS is convinced that Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has the numbers and it is just a matter of time.

”It may not have been Sept 16 but it can be on any other date.”

The names of the defecting MPs are there and PAS would continue to back Anwar in his quest to topple the present Government by peaceful and diplomatic terms, paving a way for a coalition which truely represents the aspirations of the people, Husam said.